
Feasts and Fasts
Customs, traditions, and meditations related to the Great Feasts (and a few of he lesser feasts) of the Orthodox Church. Pascha has its own section. To find a particular feast or fast quickly, check the index, where they’re listed by date.


Holiday gift guide for Orthodox families
My husband and I love Christmas shopping. We skip the malls and go to the small, eccentric, family-owned brick-and-mortar shops that have unique and meaningful gifts. And we fill in with gifts from small online shops. This year’s going to be different, though....
How do you celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos?
Are there things you do every year to celebrate the Nativity of the Theotokos? I didn’t grow up Orthodox. So I didn’t grow up having customs and traditions for all of the Orthodox feasts. I wish I had. I love the liturgical calendar. Honestly, it’s one of the things...
Getting kids to write thank you notes
If everyone in your family gets together to open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, you might not have ever worried much about thank you notes. Your kids say thanks and give hugs in person, and that’s enough. But in some families, grandparents and godparents...
The Protection of the Theotokos
If you want to attend services for the Feast of the Protection of the Theotokos, you may need to call ahead to find out when it’s kept. In the Slavic tradition, where it is celebrated almost as if it were one of the twelve great feasts, it’s appointed for...